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Commentary produced June 6, 2014

June 06, 2014

HEADLINES

Wet start to June

Weekly weather potpourri

MPR listener question

Almanac for June 6th

Past weather

Outlook

Wet start to June

Last weekend the month of May concluded on a
wet note, and the month of June began very wet as well. Many weather
observers around the state reported 1-2 inches of rainfall over June
1-2, while a few others received nearly a month's worth of rain
producing flood warnings on several local rivers and streams. In the
northern counties both Hibbing and Kabetogama reported over 3.5 inches
of rainfall, while in west-central areas Dawson reported over 3 inches.
The heaviest rains were concentrated in central and southern counties.
Belle Plaine reported nearly 5 inches as did Onamia. In the south
Redwood Falls reported 4.75 inches, Luverne 4.13 inches, and Winnebago
5.29 inches. Many farmers reported standing ponds of water in their
freshly planted fields. Portions of the Crow River, Sauk River, and
Buffalo Creek all rose to near or above flood stage due to heavy runoff.

Yet
more rainfall for the weekend is predicted, though more modest amounts
ranging from 0.25 to 0.75 inches. Some farmers are still trying to
wrap-up soybean planting for the season and they are hoping the rainfall
will miss them this weekend. In addition a number of growers are
concerned about the loss of nitrogen fertilizer through the soil profile
as a result of the heavy rains that came at the end of May and
beginning of June. Where there is a question or concern about whether
to apply additional nitrogen to a corn crop that has already emerged,
growers are encouraged to read the latest edition of Extension Crop News
where you can find recommendations related to this topic. Please go
to..... http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/cropnews/2014/06/the-annual-nitrogen-newsletter.html.

More large hail was reported on Thursday, June 5th in some southwestern
counties, but much of the other severe weather remained well south of
Minnesota.

Weekly weather potpourri

The United Kingdom Meteorological
Office had two significant press releases this week: one described their
work in assessing future climate change implications for heavy rainfall
events and they found that rainfalls of 1 inch or greater will like
increase in frequency a great deal; the other press release is a
fascinating description of the forecasting tools that were used to
assist the Allies in the D-Day invasion of Normandy 70 years ago. You
can read more at.... http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/in-depth/D-Day-70th-anniversary

Tuesday, June 3rd brought an outbreak of severe weather to portions of
NE, IA, KS, and MO. There were 15 reports of tornadoes and hundreds of
reports of large hail and strong thunderstorm winds. One observer in NE
reported 3-inch diameter hail, tea cup size hail according to the NOAA
Storm Prediction Center.

According to the weekly USDA drought assessment "drought in the U.S.
improved slightly in May 2014, but most of the improvements were in the
central states. Intense drought was entrenched in California, parts of
the West and Southwest, and in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The NDMC and
drought observers documented impacts related to water supply for
agricultural and municipal use, wildfire, and forecasts of reduced
agricultural production. Moderate drought is only present on less than 4
percent of the Minnesota landscape.

As of Thursday, June 5, 2014 there was still some ice on Lake
Superior around Picture Rocks National Lakeshore in upper Michigan. It
was expected to remain a few more days, the latest appearance of ice on
the big lake since 1996.

MPR listener question

"How does the daily maximum temperature in Minnesota vary from summer to
winter in terms of the time of occurrence? It seems in the summer that
it actually occurs after I get home from work. "

Answer: Assuming you have a day job, you are absolutely right! In
winter, the time of the daily maximum temperature is most generally
between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, lagging solar noon (maximum elevation of the
sun) slightly. However, in the summer (June, July, August), the time of
maximum daily temperature is typically 5:00 to 6:00 pm, lagging solar
noon by several hours. Thus, that cold lemonade, ice tea, or beer you
are drinking on the front porch after work is not just to relieve the
stress of your work day, it is also intended to make the hottest time of
the day a little more tolerable!

Twin Cities Almanac for June 6th

The average MSP high temperature for this date is 75 degrees F (plus or
minus 10 degrees F standard deviation), while the average low is 55
degrees F (plus or minus 8 degrees F standard deviation).

MSP local records for June 6th

MSP weather records for this date include: highest daily maximum
temperature of 97 degrees F in 2011; lowest daily maximum temperature of
52 degrees F in 2009; lowest daily minimum temperature is 36 degrees F
in 1897; highest daily minimum temperature of 74 F in 1925; record
precipitation of 1.59 inches in 1974; and there has been no snow on this
date.

Average dew point for June 6th is 53 degrees F, with a maximum of 73 degrees F in 1925 and a minimum of 26 degrees F in 1926.

All-time state records for June 6th

The state record high temperature for this date is 106 degrees F at
Pipestone (Pipestone County) in 1933. The state record low temperature
for this date is 20 degrees F at Warroad (Roseau County) in 1952 and at
Remer (Cass County) in 1985. State record precipitation for this date is
6.51 inches at Luverne (Rock County) in 1896; and no measurable
snowfall has occurred on this date.

Past weather features

June 5-8, 1896 brought very heavy rains to many parts of the state.
Bird Island and Detroit Lakes received over 5 inches of rainfall, while
Luverne and Fergus Falls receiver over 6 inches. Many fields were
underwater for several days, and some crops had to be replanted.

The coldest June 6th in state history was in 1897 when widespread frosts
were reported. Overnight temperatures fell into the 20s F, and not
just in the northern counties either. Farmington (Dakota County)
reported a morning low of 28 degrees F. At Grand Portage on the north
shore of Lake Superior the temperature got no higher than 40 degrees F
that day.

By far the hottest June 6th in state history occurred in 1933. Most
weather observers, except for those in northeastern counties, reported a
maximum temperature of 90 degrees F or greater. Pipestone, New Ulm,
and Fairmont reported highs over 100 degrees F. June of the 1933 turned
out to be the hottest in state history as well.

Three tornadoes rolled across Roseau County on June 6, 1999 between 3pm
and 4pm. Fortunately none did any serious damage. In southern Minnesota
widespread thunderstorms brought large hail and damaging winds, with
reported gusts of 60 mph.

Outlook

Cooler than normal temperatures through the weekend and early next week,
with chances for showers and thunderstorms early Saturday. Mostly
sunny on Sunday. Warmer temperatures by Tuesday and Wednesday, with more
showers and thunderstorms towards the end of next week.

NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have
a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper
left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.